Social Order in Elizabethan England

Laborer Class

Works Consulted

“Elizabethan Era.” thelostcolony.com. The Lost Colony, 2015. Web 27 April 2015.

Melanie Jones. “Social Structure.” history.com. The Historical Association, June 30th 2011. Web

27 April 2015

Raine Talley. “Living Conditions in Elizabethan England.”

homeandgardennewspaper.weebly.com. Home and Gardens, 13 March 2013. Web 28 April 2015

• The lowest class in England; it consisted of day laborers, poor husbandmen, some retailers who didn't own their own land, idle-serving men and beggars.
• Some jobs that these people had included artisanry, shoemaking, carpentry, brick masonry, and hand working.
• If a job was available to a laborer and they did not chose to do it, they could be sentenced to death.
• The Laborers were assisted by the government for the first time under Queen Elizabeth I when the Poor Laws were enacted.

The Monarch

Yeomanry Class

• Consisted of Royalty; wealthy.
• England's best monarch is thought to be Queen Elizabeth I, as she ruled for 45 years during the height of the English Reniassance.

• Consisted of farmers, tradesmen, and craftsmen. (Middle Class)
• Usually lived in houses made of timber or plaster.
• People in this class had enough money to live comfortably, but could lose all of their wealth after becoming sick or in a famine.
• In some cases, Yeomans could be wealthier than Gentries. The only difference between the two would be that Yeomans spent their money expanding their land, and Gentries built large homes

Merchant Class

Social Classes

The Nobility

1. The Monarch

2. Nobility

3. Gentry

4. Merchant

5. Yeomanry

6. Laborers

• This class rose from the ashes of the Wars of the Roses.
• Typically lived in the upper floor of a building, with their shop on the lower floor.
• Most merchants shipped goods from England to the New World for a living.
• Wool was a very successful product in trade. It's prosperity led to an important increase in building.
• Merchants began to raise the prices of household goods under the impression that it would benefit England as a whole, but it only provided wealth for themselves.

• Upper class; included knights; consisted of rich and powerful men who owned large households.
• They were the lords and ladies of the land. The head of the family would have been a duke, baron, or earl. A nobleman could lose their title by committing treason.
• One could become a nobleman in birth or by grant from a king or queen, which was very rare. This was because the nobility was considered to be a threat to royalty.

The Elizabethan Era is known as the "Golden Era" in English history. It was ruled by Elizabeth I, the sixth, and the last ruler of Tudor. Daily life revolved around the six different ranks of social classes. These classes were all determined by wealth, and were kept in their place by laws passed by the Parliament. The type or color of clothing, how much one spent on goods, and how much work was to be done was all under the law of the Parliament.

Gentry Class

• Consisted of knights, squires, gentlemen, gentlewomen, and anyone who didn't work using their hands for a living. This was like the middle-upper class of England.
• Was the backbone of Elizabethan England because it continually grew. Citizens could work their way up to it from any lower class; a person could be a part of the gentry class by owning large amounts of land
• Many served as Justices of Peace under the Parliament.

The Social Order of Elizabethan England